Mask Makes the Man
by Phoenix Dayze
Summary: Cloud discovers that wearing a mask can sometimes give you the courage you need. --- Halloween fic. renoxcloud


Cloud always wore a mask. He hid himself from everything and everyone. And he probably always would. It was just...part of who he was now, a hard-learned instinct, something he just couldn't change. _Pretending_ was as much a part of him as his Mako-tainted blood.

But the mask he wore tonight, the blue, velvety _concealment_ that frammed his eyes and spread out across his cheekbones, it somehow made things...different. He felt cut off from everyone, seperated, alone in a room full of people who were all wearing masks. And it was that seperation that made him feel..._whole_. And for the first time, he didn't have to hide, because _everyone_ was hiding. He was exactly the same. And they were all strangers.

A small smile pulled at Cloud's lips. On this night, and this night alone, he had no identity. He was free.

A flash of red and black across the room caught his eye, and Cloud's smile widened. He wasn't himself tonight, was no longer Cloud Strife and all that went with it. And Reno...Reno was wearing a mask too...

He stalked him, stepping lightly through the crowd, following him out onto a deserted balcony. Shadows clung to Cloud's skin as he watched Reno brace himself against the railing, a heavy sigh escaping his chest. Cloud swallowed and pretended he was someone else, maybe someone that he _wanted_ to be... "It's cool tonight."

Reno's head whipped around, his eyes suspicious and glinting behind the black silk tied around his temple. His red hair was loose from its normal ponytail, the wind feathering it across his face. The sight of the familiar blond hair seemed to take him off edge again, though his eyes still gleamed. "Does the cold bother you?"

Cloud took a few steps forward, head tilting coyly as he'd seen Zack do so many times. "Terribly." He stopped in front of Reno, one hand tracing lightly over the cream collar of Reno's costume. "Perhaps you'd be willing to warm me up?"

Reno swallowed, eyes racing over Cloud's form, lingering over the pale nipples that were just visible beneath the sheer blue fabric of his shirt, the tight bulge in the front of those black leathers, the seriousness and the _arousal_ in Cloud's eyes...

Reno cocked a grin and a sweeping bow. "I'd be honored." He reached out and pulled Cloud up against him, all hard muscles and sexual tension, and he couldn't help but groan at the contact. He ground his hips suggestively. "Should I take you somewhere?"

Cloud peered up at him from under his lashes, looking far too demure for a hardened warrior, a mischievious smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Over that rail is fine with me."

Reno's cock twitched at the blatant direction, and he swallowed hard. His eyes blazed dangerously as he leaned down until they were nearly forehead to forehead. His voice was low, rough. "I don't like being toyed with."

Cloud allowed his tongue to dart out, touching against Reno's lips. "Neither do I," he whispered. Another teasing lick. "Take me," he breathed, "I'm yours."

Reno growled and siezed Cloud's mouth with his own, his hands working furiously at the tantalizing pants, shoving them down around Cloud's thighs. He grabbed Cloud's cock and pumped it hard. "Turn," he ground out, pulling away from too tempting lips.

Pleasure sizzled through Cloud's body. Reno was rough and dominant, just like he'd assumed he would be. And it was fucking incredible.

Cloud turned, bracing his hands against the balcony rail, his body bent slightly, leaving his firm, pale ass ripe for the taking.

Reno sucked in a sharp breath, and Cloud could hear him fumbling hurriedly at the fastenings to his own pants, desperate to free his own cock.

A fevered moan escaped Cloud's throat as Reno's hard flesh pressed up against his opening, worked its way inside, burned through Cloud's reservations, pushed through his fears, _took_ him like he _wanted_ to be taken, and made him _feel_.

It was hot and hard and heaven. Reno moved. Thrust. And Cloud cried out and fucking loved every second of it. So close. Intimate. And Reno somehow _knew_ Cloud's body. One hand on his hip, one on his cock, and thrusting, thrusting, thrusting...

And Cloud was coming, hard and fast, his hot, wet fluid tainting Reno's hand, and it was so, _so_ good...

Reno thrust and stuttered, thrust hard, and stilled. And there was this amazing heat. It filled Cloud to his core and chased away the emptiness. And that...was good too...

Slowly, Reno pulled out and did up his pants, his breath still ragged. He ran a gentle hand over Cloud's back, his heart warming slightly when he didn't flinch away from his touch now that the moment was past. "You alright, Cloud?"

Cloud pried himself up from the rail and carefully tucked himself back into his leathers, messy as it would be. "I have to go to Kalm tomorrow. I'll...be staying overnight." Cloud's eyes flckered up to meet Reno's.

Reno leaned in and placed a chaste kiss against Cloud's mouth. "I wouldn't miss it. But," a coy smile graced Reno's lips, "can I ride with you?"

A hot flush rushed to Cloud's cheeks at the sudden image of Reno pressed full body against him on the bike, warm and hard, all the way to Kalm... His cock tingled. Cloud swallowed. "Fine," Cloud agreed, "on one condition."

Reno grinned. "What's that?"

Cloud's cock gave another betraying twitch. "You have to wear the mask."


End file.
